Sermons

Have you ever become so caught up in your work that it feels like such a burden that you have forgotten the joy you had when you started the job? We are told everyday to work harder so that we can earn more money, in order to buy more stuff; but after a while we realize that there is no joy in that pursuit. When we look back in Genesis, we see that God made us to do work; Adam and Eve were made stewards of the Garden. We need to transition from working for money, to working for God's glory - doing everything we do as if it were for God. Then, we might find true joy and peace.

Have you ever become so caught up in your work that it feels like such a burden that you have forgotten the joy you had when you started the job? We are told everyday to work harder so that we can earn more money, in order to buy more stuff; but after a while we realize that there is no joy in that pursuit. When we look back in Genesis, we see that God made us to do work; Adam and Eve were made stewards of the Garden. We need to transition from working for money, to working for God's glory - doing everything we do as if it were for God. Then, we might find true joy and peace.

It is easy for us to judge others based on our perceptions of how people should live, and if they do not live up to our standards, then we see them as out-casts and people un-worthy to be a part of society. But Jesus never saw people that way. He came to proclaim God's Good News to the out-cast, heal the sick and free the prisoner. What is worse, is that we tend to cast these judgements based on our traditions; traditions that can get in the way of serving God and serving others. These were some of the traditions that Jesus ignored, knowing that sharing a meal with someone deemed a sinner meant a chance for repentance, or that healing the sick or befriending the outcast meant more than remaining traditionally clean. If we call ourselves Christians, than we must follow Christ's example; to go and serve and not cast judgment from our comfortable pew.

You have probably heard the often quoted verse: "faith without action is dead" - James 2:20. So is true of our words. Without action to back them up, they are empty statements and promises. If we are to truly live out our faith, then we must back up what we say, and what we say we believe, with what we do. Even when we pray, the words we use are mostly action words, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us be people of action, not just of word. Let us be empowered by the Spirit to live out our faith.

Is this the end? Are we living in the end times? These question always circulate anytime something devastating happens around the world. From massive hurricanes to wars, we seem to be overly concerned with finding signs of the end. Many of us are failure with the "Left Behind" novels by Tim LaHaye, and because of the tremendous success of these books, this seems to be the most common image and interpretation of the end times. Should we be focused on the end-times, however? Since no one will ever know when The Day of the Lord will come, should we focus on the end, or remain focused on being the church to the world? All the way to the end of Jesus time on earth, he was more focused on those around Him than Himself. Regardless when the end is, we too should be more focused on continuing to serve others, rather than simply waiting for the end to come.

Life can really give us a beating sometimes. Between life's many twists and turns, unexpected illness or loss, it is easy for us to loose sight of God and become enveloped in our sorrows. From Isaiah this week, we hear God telling His people not to focus on the difficult circumstances around them, to not allow themselves to be distracted by negative influences, and rather remember who God is and what He has already done. Then God reinforces a promise that He will always be there for them, never forgetting His people, and never leaving them on their own. This message was given to Isaiah for God's people, who have been exiled to foreign lands anger being conquered by another nation. This is a message, a promise of hope; a message that still holds true for us. God never leaves, and He does not forget us in our darkest hours. Do not allow your self to be so distracted by the negative around you that you are unable to hear what God is saying, it is a promise that you will want to hear.

What does Jesus mean when He says “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” Well, what do we give most of our time to? What are the things that consume our lives? Is it work, school, entertainment, money? The things we chase after to make our lives secure or to give our lives meaning will ultimately consume our lives, and eventually we get so lost within them that we no longer actually live life, we just find ourselves going through the motions. But if we allow the same thing to happen in the pursuit of Jesus, for the purpose of the Kingdom, then we end up finding life. We are engaged in the world, serving the neglected and needy. We find ourselves living in the promise of the Gospel and the light of the Kingdom. We attain the life that Jesus promises, and live in the fulness of life that God has created for us.

Some things simply cannot be explained. Life takes unpredictable turns and some things happen that just do not make sense. If you have ever tried to explain parts of scripture or God to someone, it can be extremely difficult. That does not mean that God doesn't exist or the scriptures are false, just that God is outside our understanding. It is far easier for us to understand something that we can see and touch; the things that make up our physical, moment to moment experiences make sense. But there is so much of life that transcends the physical; like the love between two people, special connections we make or moments we share with someone. These are far more than memories or feelings, rather moments that shape our lives and define our experiences, and they stay with us forever. The lasting effects of these moments are mere echoes of the way God works in our lives; from His love displayed on the cross to His constant presence in our lives, preparing us for eternity. And so the unseen might not help explain things, but that is what stays with us forever. "For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal." Praise be to God.

Sometimes it is easy to be so focused on something that has changed or a mistake we made, that we miss what is happening around us or a point someone is trying to make. With Jesus, the point is always that He loves us, in our success and most often our failures, it is always about His love. In the distractions of forgetfulness or failure and what is happening in the world around us, may we never miss the point: Jesus love each of us with unrelenting passion, and died on a cross to prove it.

Aug 20, 2017“Look to the Left and to the Right” – Rev. Gary Hilton – Ezekiel 34:11-22

Aug 20, 2017

“Look to the Left and to the Right” – Rev. Gary Hilton – Ezekiel 34:11-22

The church stops being the church when it stops serving others; when instead sharing God's life giving blessings, it hoards it. The bottom line from this passage in Ezekiel is if we are not using the blessings God gives us for the betterment of others, than we simply are not being the church. Our faith and salvation is not for a church service on Sunday mornings, our salvation is for others, that they might come to know Christ as well. Our blessings are not to make our lives easier, but to help lift the burden of those who struggle day in and day out. This is being the church, when we decide to look to the left and to the right, to see the needs of others, and not just down at the blessing we have.

How much faith must Peter have had to climb out of the boat to meet Jesus on the water? How little faith did he have to allow the storm to instill doubt and fear? Regardless of Peter's amount of faith, Jesus was there. He came down off the mountain where he was praying and resting to be with His disciples in the middle of a storm on the lake. It doesn't matter how much faith Peter had, Jesus showed up and he responded. How will you respond when Jesus shows up in your storm?